As promissed.

Dumpling recipe (dont tell anyboody)

2 pound waxy potatoes
1 3/4 cup dough
3/4 cup potatoe starch
1 dash of salt
1 dash of nutmeg
1/8 cup butter
1/2 cup milk (cooked) low fat

Mom uses cooked potatoes for the flour.
Flat cooking in a little salty water til the dumplings swimming.
15 - 20 min.

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With each crime and every kindness we birth our future.

Bumping this to post something later.

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Pluto will always be a planet to me.

Seti Ambassador
Not to late to order an Anni Shirt

Here's something, Hungarian Gou-lash...

http://elisson1.blogspot.com/2008/10/gou-lash-larue.html

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

Vic thank you

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Pluto will always be a planet to me.

Seti Ambassador
Not to late to order an Anni Shirt

That's not what my mother called goulash. She just used a pound or so of hamburger, two cans of stewed tomatoes, two cans of tomato sauce, one diced onion, chili powder,two teaspoons of tomato paste, and macaroni. Just brown the hamburger in a large skillet and start throwing all the rest in on top of it.(cook the macaroni separately first!). Simmer it covered for awhile to get the flavors mixed in then uncover and simmer some more to let it cook down until it is thick enough without being too runny. I add things like celery salt and basil and garlic to taste but that's up to you.

The only problem is I haven't figured out how to make just a little bit so use a big skillet.

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PROUD MEMBER OF Team Starfire World BOINC

I rely heavily on Cook's Illustrated recipes. I have found them to be uniformly excellent! Thank's Vic.

That's not what my mother called goulash. She just used a pound or so of hamburger, two cans of stewed tomatoes, two cans of tomato sauce, one diced onion, chili powder,two teaspoons of tomato paste, and macaroni. Just brown the hamburger in a large skillet and start throwing all the rest in on top of it.(cook the macaroni separately first!). Simmer it covered for awhile to get the flavors mixed in then uncover and simmer some more to let it cook down until it is thick enough without being too runny. I add things like celery salt and basil and garlic to taste but that's up to you.

The only problem is I haven't figured out how to make just a little bit so use a big skillet.

I use a big kettle instead.

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I rely heavily on Cook's Illustrated recipes. I have found them to be uniformly excellent! Thank's Vic.

Yer welcome Angela.

Of course I was looking for "Ghoul Lash" ;), but I found this instead.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

Musings on Grasshopper Pie and Motor Learning...

Hello fellow cooking enthusiasts!

Today I enjoyed a cooking marathon and I was struck by a couple of simple observations when I cooked one dish that was very familiar, followed by another that was not.

The familiar food I cooked was a half batch of cream biscuits - Eric's favorite breakfast treat. Because I wanted to surprise Eric, I slipped out of bed a little early this morning. Half asleep I distractedly watched as my hands mixed the dough, kneaded it lightly and cut out the biscuits. My "hands" (really my brain) knew exactly how much to mix the dough, exactly how to knead the dough and exactly how to cut the biscuits - all for maximum height and "fluffiness". I have made these biscuits for Eric so many times that my "hands" just seemed to know what to do. For me, making those cream biscuits is an example of motor learning mastery... like tying shoes, shooting free throws or riding a bicycle.

Later in the morning I cooked a less familiar food. I made three grasshopper pies, one after another, to bring to a family party later in the evening. Now I don't often make gelatin based mousse recipes. As I made the first pie, I watched as my "hands" (again, really my brain) fumbled to hold a candy thermometer while I heated the gelatin base to that perfect sweet zone of around 175 degrees. When the mousse base had chilled, I watched as my "hands" tried to fold thickened boozy gelatin into whipped egg whites and whipped cream. My hands looked really awkward as I worked on that first pie.

Then I made the second pie and I immediately noticed how much better my "hands" had become at juggling my candy thermometer and folding the mousse base. Shortly after that I made the third pie and my "hands" looked even more capable!

Was that true motor learning? Had my brain organized a "grasshopper pie" region already?!!! Probably not. I think the difference I saw in my "hands" across the three pies was nothing more than a simple practice effect.

They don't know how and and they don't know why, but scientists who study motor learning have found that sleep solidifies motor patterns into true motor learning mastery. So when I am in an insomnia phase and I glibly say "sleep is over-rated", I am wrong, wrong, wrong! Now if I got a good night's sleep and got up tomorrow to make three more grasshopper pies, slept 8 hours and made some more pies, my guess is that my brain would start to organize a motor learning area specifically for "grasshopper pie". Who knows? After 25 pies or so, with some nice neuro-solidifying sleep in between, my hands might even look graceful making grasshopper pie. (Right now, sleep is unlikely. I am hopped up on pie!!!)

Whether I am feeding raccoons, making pies or simply spending a day at the beach, I find that stepping back from life once in a while to form a hypothesis or two can be rather fun... especially if I follow this up with more observations and a little reading that might help me substantiate, solidify or even completely discard my original hypothesis.

Science is an attitude and an approach to life. You don't need an advanced degree to have this kind of fun. You just need to be a keen observer and a logical thinker. Gregor Mendel probably started out simply musing about the pea plants in his garden, so I think I'll just sit right here and muse about pies...

How big a piece do you want?

Why do I get the picture of a dream where the pie goes hopping across the kitchen floor and out the window?

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PROUD MEMBER OF Team Starfire World BOINC

I will be making the dip again Ang. This time I will use my Braun Stab and not toss out the seeds.

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Pluto will always be a planet to me.

Seti Ambassador
Not to late to order an Anni Shirt

Help me, cooking enthusiasts!

I like to watch some of those reality chef shows and Eric sometimes watches them with me. Today Eric and I made zucchini panini together for dinner and because Eric is better at working the panini press than I am, he got to be the Chef de Cuisine and I had to be the Sous-chef... in my own kitchen, no less!!!

Eric: Plate!!!
Angela: Right here chef.
Eric: Did you finish the basil prep?
Angela: Yes chef.
Eric: This is completely unacceptable. I wanted Thai basil and you have brought me Italian basil.
Angela: I'm sorry chef. It is what we had in the garden.
Eric: It is entirely unacceptable. I will have to completely rework the menu!
Angela: Yes chef.

Argh!!! I am NEVER going to watch a reality chef show again!

(Hey, do you think that was what Eric was going for???!!!!!)

Probably
Which reminds me, tell your Soul Mate, not everyone likes meat that still moos at you ;)

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Pluto will always be a planet to me.

Seti Ambassador
Not to late to order an Anni Shirt

I (puts glasses on to type) thought Basil was Basil, but what do I know? Mom only bought what was in the store, Me I don't cook from scratch as I can only do so much. This morning I had 2 Krusteaz pancakes(just add H2O) and lite syrup w/Premium MJB decaf coffee and that's as close to scratch as I get these days, My Nephews initials are on the label too. :D

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

At work, I cook mostly from scratch.

At home, heck no!!!!!!!!

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Help me, cooking enthusiasts!

I like to watch some of those reality chef shows and Eric sometimes watches them with me. Today Eric and I made zucchini panini together for dinner and because Eric is better at working the panini press than I am, he got to be the Chef de Cuisine and I had to be the Sous-chef... in my own kitchen, no less!!!

Eric: Plate!!!
Angela: Right here chef.
Eric: Did you finish the basil prep?
Angela: Yes chef.
Eric: This is completely unacceptable. I wanted Thai basil and you have brought me Italian basil.
Angela: I'm sorry chef. It is what we had in the garden.
Eric: It is entirely unacceptable. I will have to completely rework the menu!
Angela: Yes chef.

Argh!!! I am NEVER going to watch a reality chef show again!

(Hey, do you think that was what Eric was going for???!!!!!)

No more Hells Kitchen for Eric!

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Janice

Big Fat Greek Tomatoes

Serves 4, Ready In 1hr 15mins

Carefully slice off top of each tomato and scoop out flesh. Reserve. Heat oil in a heavy based pan and fry onions and garlic until soft and golden. Add parsley, tomato pulp and olives. Cook for a few minuets and then add rice. Stir, then pour in wine, stock and black pepper and simmer mixture for 15-20 minuets on hob. Heat oven to gas mark 4 / 180c / fan 160c. Spoon filling into each tomato shell and top with cheese. Cook for 30-40 minuets. Garnish with parsley and server hot.

Ingredients

8 large vine tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, fine chopped
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 tbsp fine chopped flat leaf parsley
5 olives in brine, drained
75g long grain rice
50ml dry white wine
130ml vegetable stock
Freshly ground black pepper
40g Greek salad cheese, crumbled

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If someone wanted to know what 105oz if Mustard looks like, Here It is:

And It didn't cost a lot really.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

Yeah, Costco, Sam's and all those others help a lot, sometimes.

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Actually, I have a cooking question:
My mother sent me a recipe for "Whooppee Pies" (homemade Devil Dogs/Suzie Q's - whatever your region calls them). She's at close to sea level & I'm at about 5300 ft. (~1700 metres). How do I modify the recipe to compensate for the higher elevation?

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